1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a carrying device for a number of flat, box-shaped items, such as cassettes, tiles, covers or the like. The items are typically tall, broad and thin. The invention is in particular appropriate for storage and display of compact discs in covers mutually arranged in the same way as books in bookshelves.
2. Prior Art
Compact discs are mostly used for storage of digital musical recordings and computer programs. Carrying devices for compact discs in covers are generally known in exceedingly many variants. They also exist for digital video discs and MiniDisc-records (compact discs in a small size). All these types of records are generally stored in plastic covers (cassettes) of quite the same structure. The covers have retaining means for the record or records and inner retaining means for insertion labels or folders.
For the sake of simplicity, all these three types of records in their covers are below designated “CDs”, and the expressions “CD, the CD, CDs and the CDs” are to be understood as any of the above stated kinds of items.
A carrying device of the stated kind designed by the designer group TOOLS and produced and marketed by the company Tommy Larsen, Silkeborg, Denmark, has the form of an extruded (and thus prismatic) item which in a horizontal direction is elongate and has an almost C-shaped cross section. The two terminal points of the C-shaped cross section hereby form rectilinear, horizontally extending jaws provided with rubber edges facing each other. The item is intended to be fastened on a wall with the two jaws turning away from the wall and facing the room.
The distance between the two jaws is thus adapted that a CD just fits tightly in between the rubber edges of the jaws, when set on edge with its back facing the room. The bottom jaw projects somewhat longer out in the room than the top jaw, whereby the CD is retained in a secure way even though it is loaded downwards by the gravitational force or possible impacts.
However, this carrying device has the drawback that the CD is retained relatively tightly between the jaws. This makes it unnecessarily difficult to insert and remove CDs, and as their exterior (the cover itself) is produced from a rather fragile type of plastic, they break easily when inserted in or removed from the known carrying device.
A further inconvenience of the known carrying device is that the CD does not have a well-defined orientation in the rotating direction around a horizontal axis parallel to the wall on which the carrying device is arranged. No well-defined stops being provided for the rear edge of the CD and at the same time, the CD moves stiffly at insertion, it is difficult for the users to reach a well-defined position for each individual CD, and as consequence, they are not aligned with each other when they are placed in the carrying device.
Finally, it is a disadvantage of the known carrying device that when removing the CD from the carrying device, the CD can only be seized by the two corners facing the room.
Another carrying device of the initially stated kind and designed by Frank Nielsen is known from a catalogue “Living Design—Music is the Dream Language of the World” from the company LIVING DESIGN of AM Denmark A/S, Kokkedal, Denmark (page 23).
This carrying device consists of an extruded rail mounted horizontally on a wall or the like. The rail has near its top edge two narrowly spaced, elongate horizontal jaws of which the top jaw is drawn backwards against the wall and the bottom jaw projects into the room.
Between these two jaws, an inner end of an arm or cantilever can be arranged and in its rest position project horizontally into the room and furthermore swing in a horizontal plane and thus be left in any desired angle with the wall, in the horizontal plane.
The CDs are arranged each hanging down from one of these arms by hooks on the underside of the arm being engaged with recesses provided on the upper edge of cover of the CD in connection with the retaining means for the insertion labels or folder.
Thus, the CDs may swing sideways forwards and backwards in the way a reader may “leaf” through a book. It is easy to watch the fronts of the CDs in order to choose one to be played or entered into a computer.
The CDs with attached arms may probably be detached from the wall rail when they are to be played. If the CDs are transported, it is, however, usually necessary to demount the arms.
It is a drawback of this carrying device that the CDs are not particularly close in the sideways direction. It is obviously necessary with a considerably mutual horizontal distance between the CDs for them to be able to swing sufficiently widely. The carrying device has thus a considerably reduced storage capacity per occupied cubic unit in relation to carrying devices where the CDs are stored closely.
Furthermore, it is a considerable inconvenience of this carrying device that the hooks of the arms are fragile because of their required cooperation with the standard recesses in the CD, and that the covers of the CDs as stated are produced from a very fragile material.